JP2023103053A - Air cleaner and filter - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an air cleaner and a filter where air in a wide space can be cleaned without enlarging an installation area.SOLUTION: An air cleaner 1 comprises a housing 10 and at least two upper side filter 21 and lower side filter 22. The upper side filter 21 and the lower side filter 22 are arranged side by side vertically at the inside of the housing 10, are mutually crossed in a plan view and are long rectangular parallelepiped in a vertical direction. Each of the upper side filter 21 and the lower side filter 22 is equipped with a filter body 21a having a plurality of folds 21b formed along a longitudinal direction and an outer frame 21c covering the outer peripheral surface of the filter body 21a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

The present invention relates to air cleaners and filters.

Patent Literature 1 discloses an air cleaner that cleans air in a wide space. This air purifier includes an inlet, a first outlet, a second outlet, and a ventilation passage. The suction port opens around the bottom of the housing. The first blowout port and the second suction port open at both sides of the upper portion of the housing. The air-blowing passage has a first branch passage extending vertically on one side of the housing to communicate the suction port and the first outlet, and a second branch passage extending vertically on the other side of the housing to communicate the suction port and the second suction port. A first blower that sucks air from a suction port and circulates an airflow through the first branched passage, and a first dust filter that collects dust in the air are arranged in the first branched passage. A second blower that sucks air from the suction port and circulates the airflow through the second branch, and a second dust filter that collects dust in the air are arranged in the second branch.

Japanese Patent No. 6725213

In a plan view of the air cleaner disclosed in Patent Document 1, the first blower, the first dust filter, the second dust filter, and the second blower are arranged side by side. Therefore, there was a problem that the installation area of the air purifier was large.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air purifier capable of purifying the air in a wide space without increasing the installation area, and a filter used in this air purifier.

An air cleaner according to the present invention comprises a housing and at least two filters. The at least two filters are vertically elongated rectangular parallelepipeds that are arranged vertically inside the housing and that intersect each other in a plan view.

A filter according to the present invention is a filter used in the air cleaner, and includes a filter main body and an outer frame. The filter body has a plurality of creases formed along the longitudinal direction. The outer frame covers the outer peripheral surface of the filter body.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the air cleaner and filter which can clean the air of large space can be provided, without enlarging an installation area.

2 is a right side view of the air cleaner according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a front view of an air cleaner according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the air purifier according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the filter section in the air cleaner according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a filter holding portion in the air purifier according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the air blower of the air cleaner according to Embodiment 1; 2 is a front view showing the configuration of air passages in the air purifier according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a right side view showing the configuration of air passages in the air purifier according to Embodiment 1. FIG. Fig. 2 is a left side view showing the configuration of air passages in the air purifier according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the air cleaner according to Embodiment 1 cut along the cutting line X in FIG. 2 ; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the air cleaner according to Embodiment 1 taken along the cutting line XI in FIG. 2 ; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the air purifier according to Embodiment 1 taken along the cutting line XII in FIG. 2 ; FIG. 4 is a plan view for explaining intersection positions of filter portions in the air purifier according to Embodiment 1; It is a reference example for helping understanding of the intersection position of the filter part in the air cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the configuration of the upper filter in the air cleaner according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the upper filter in the air cleaner according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

<Embodiment 1>
An air cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1 and a filter unit 20 used in the air cleaner 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 16. FIG. In this specification, the up-down direction, the front-rear direction, and the left-right direction may be described in order to facilitate understanding. These directions are defined only for convenience of explanation, and the definitions of these directions are not intended to limit the orientation of the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1 during use and assembly.

1 is a right side view of an air cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1, FIG. 2 is a front view, and FIG. 3 is a rear view. A housing 10 of the air purifier 1 is installed on an indoor floor surface or the like. Inside the housing 10, there are at least two air blowing units 30 and 40 arranged vertically (see FIG. 6 and the like, which will be described later). A right blowing section 16 is provided on the right side of the front surface of the housing 10 to blow out the air blown out from a part of the at least two blowing sections 30 and 40 . A left blowing portion 17 is provided on the left side of the front surface of the housing 10 for blowing out the air blown from the remaining blowing portion 40 of the at least two blowing portions 30 and 40 to the outside.

A design side panel 10 a is attached to the right side of the housing 10 . A design side panel 10 b is attached to the left side of the housing 10 . In addition, a suction portion 13 for sucking external air is provided on the rear surface of the housing 10 . A grid-like rear panel 14 is detachably attached to the suction portion 13 . That is, the opening of the suction part 13 is covered with the rear panel 14 . The back panel 14 acts as a pre-filter, trapping large particles of airborne dust, pet hair, and fibers.

The air cleaner 1 has a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction. Therefore, the side panels 10a and 10b and the rear panel 14 also have a curved shape along the cylinder.

An operation unit 11 is provided on the upper surface of the air cleaner 1 . For example, the operation unit 11 includes a power button, an operation mode switching button, a heater activation button, and the like. By operating the power button, the air purifier 1 starts and stops operating. Each time the operation mode switching button is operated, the blowing volume of the blowing units 30 and 40 is switched to one of "weak", "medium", and "strong". By operating the heater activation button, heaters 52 and 62, which will be described later, start and stop their operations. Note that the position, shape, and the like of the operation unit 11 are not limited to the illustrated example. Moreover, the functions of the air cleaner 1 that operate when the operation unit 11 is operated are not limited to the above example.

A display unit 12 is provided on the upper front surface of the air cleaner 1 . For example, the display unit 12 displays the room temperature while the air cleaner 1 is operating. Room temperature is detected by a temperature sensor (not shown) provided in the air purifier 1 . Note that the position, shape, and the like of the display unit 12 are not limited to the illustrated example. Information displayed by the display unit 12 is not limited to the above example.

Next, the configuration of the filter unit 20 and its surroundings will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the filter section 20 in the air cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. In FIG. 4, the side panels 10a, 10b and the rear panel 14 have been removed. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the filter holding portion 15 in the air cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. In FIG. 5, the side panels 10a, 10b, rear panel 14, and filter section 20 are removed.

Inside the housing 10, there are at least two vertically elongated rectangular parallelepiped filters 21 and 22 arranged side by side and crossing each other in plan view. Filters 21 and 22 constitute filter section 20 . Below, the filter 21 arranged on the upper side is called the upper filter 21 and the filter 22 arranged on the lower side is called the lower filter 22 . Planar view refers to viewing the air purifier 1 from the normal direction of the upper surface on which the operation unit 11 is provided. The upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22 are arranged side by side so as to cover the vertically elongated suction portion 13 . The air suction area can be increased without increasing the installation area of the air purifier 1 by forming the suction part 13 into a large opening that is elongated in the vertical direction. Further, by increasing the air suction area, the amount of air blown by the air purifier 1 can be increased as a result. In addition, although it is possible to cover the suction part 13 with one vertically long filter, it is difficult to handle a vertically long filter. Therefore, in the first embodiment, at least two filters are arranged vertically. As a result, the vertical length of each filter is shortened, making it easier to handle.

The upper filter 21 has a filter body 21a and an outer frame 21c covering the outer peripheral surface of the filter body 21a. Also, the upper filter 21 may have a handle 21e. The lower filter 22 has a filter body 22a and an outer frame 22c that covers the outer peripheral surface of the filter body 22a. Also, the lower filter 22 may have a handle 22e. Details of the upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22 will be described later. The filter main bodies 21a and 22a are configured by, for example, HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters. The upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22 collect small dust particles, dust, pollen, smoke, PM2.5 (fine particulate matter), etc. that pass through the rear panel 14 which acts as a pre-filter.

The upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22 are vertically adjacent filters, intersect each other, and are in direct contact at an intersecting position 23 . The intersection position 23 is a position where the lower surface of the upper filter 21 and the upper surface of the lower filter 22 intersect in plan view. In Embodiment 1, the upper filter 21 faces diagonally rearward left, and the lower filter 22 faces diagonally rearward right.

The rear surfaces of the upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22 face the curved rear panel 14 . The upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22 are detachably held by a filter holding portion 15 provided inside the housing 10 . The filter holding portion 15 is a depression having a shape corresponding to the upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22 . The filter holding portion 15 has a lower surface holding portion 15a, side surface holding portions 15b, 15c, 15f and 15g, front surface holding portions 15d and 15i, and an upper surface holding portion 15h.

The lower surface holding portion 15 a holds the lower surface of the lower filter 22 . The side holding portions 15 b and 15 c hold both side surfaces of the lower filter 22 . The grid-like front surface holding portion 15 d holds the front surface of the lower filter 22 . Side holding portions 15 g and 15 f hold both side surfaces of upper filter 21 . The upper surface holding portion 15 h holds the upper surface of the upper filter 21 . The grid-shaped front holding portion 15 i holds the front surface of the upper filter 21 . Note that the lower surface of the upper filter 21 is held by the upper surface of the lower filter 22 .

When attaching the filter portion 20 to the air cleaner 1 , the lower filter 22 is first fitted into the filter holding portion 15 with the rear panel 14 removed from the suction portion 13 . Subsequently, the upper filter 21 is fitted into the filter holding portion 15 . Since the lower surface of the upper filter 21 is held by the upper surface of the lower filter 22 , it is preferable to attach the lower filter 22 before the upper filter 21 .

When removing the filter section 20 from the air cleaner 1 , the upper filter 21 is first removed from the filter holding section 15 with the rear panel 14 removed from the suction section 13 . Subsequently, the lower filter 22 is removed from the filter holding portion 15 . At this time, the user can easily remove by grabbing and pulling the handles 21e and 22e.

The lower surface of the upper filter 21 and the upper surface of the lower filter 22 are surfaces that are in direct contact with each other and are surfaces that rub against each other during attachment and detachment. Therefore, reinforcing members 21f and 22f may be provided on at least the lower surface of the upper filter 21 and the upper surface of the lower filter 22 to increase the strength. Alternatively, at least the lower surface of the upper filter 21 and the upper surface of the lower filter 22 may be provided with a member having a low coefficient of friction to facilitate attachment and detachment. The surface on which the reinforcing members 21f and 22f and the member with a low coefficient of friction are provided may be at least one of the outer peripheral surfaces of the outer frames 21c and 22c perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The planes perpendicular to the longitudinal direction correspond to the upper and lower surfaces of the outer frame 21 c of the upper filter 21 and the upper and lower surfaces of the outer frame 22 c of the lower filter 22 .

A filter detection portion 18 is provided below the upper surface holding portion 15h (see FIG. 10). The filter detection unit 18 is arranged so as to be able to come into contact with the upper surface of the upper filter 21 that is arranged on the uppermost side of the filter unit 20 . The filter detection unit 18 is, for example, a lever or switch that moves upward by being pushed by the upper surface of the upper filter 21 held in the correct position by the filter holding unit 15 . Since the upper filter 21 is held by the lower filter 22 , the presence or absence of the upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22 can be detected by one filter detection unit 18 . For example, when the filter detector 18 detects the upper filter 21, the operation of the air cleaner 1 is permitted. On the other hand, when the filter detector 18 does not detect the upper filter 21, the operation of the air cleaner 1 is not started or stopped. Therefore, malfunction of the air cleaner 1 is prevented.

Next, the internal structure of the air cleaner 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 12. FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the blowers 30 and 40 of the air purifier 1 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a front view showing the configuration of the air passages 50 and 60 in the air cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 8 is a right side view showing the configuration of the air passage 50 in the air cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 9 is a left side view showing the configuration of the air passage 60 in the air cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the air cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1 taken along the cutting line X in FIG. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the air cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1 taken along the cutting line XI in FIG. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the air cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1 taken along the cutting line XII in FIG. 10-12, the air flow is indicated by arrows.

There are at least two air blowers 30 and 40 at positions corresponding to the at least two filters 21 and 22, respectively. The air cleaner 1 also includes two air paths 50 and 60 . Below, the air blower 30 arranged at the position corresponding to the upper filter 21 is called the upper air blower 30 , and the air blower 40 arranged at the position corresponding to the lower filter 22 is called the lower air blower 40 . Further, the air duct 50 located on the right side of the air cleaner 1 is referred to as the right air duct 50 , and the air duct 60 located on the left side is referred to as the left air duct 60 . The right air passage 50 connects a portion of the at least two air blowers 30 and 40 from the air blower 30 to the right blower 16 . The left air passage 60 connects the remaining air blower 40 of the at least two air blowers 30 and 40 to the left blower 17 . The air sent from the upper air blowing section 30 flows through the right air passage 50 and is blown forward from the right blowing section 16 . The air sent from the lower air blowing section 40 flows through the left air passage 60 and is blown forward from the left blowing section 17 .

The upper blower section 30 has at least one sirocco fan. The lower blower section 40 also has at least one sirocco fan. The rotating shaft of the sirocco fan is arranged in the vertical direction. By arranging a plurality of fans vertically, the installation area of the air cleaner 1 does not become large. In addition, by incorporating a plurality of fans, the blowing volume of the air purifier 1 can be increased, and the air in a wide space can be cleaned.

In Embodiment 1, the upper air blowing section 30 has two sirocco fans (a first fan 32 and a second fan 34) arranged vertically. The rotating shaft of the first fan 32 and the rotating shaft of the second fan 34 are arranged coaxially. Here, the rotating shaft of the first fan 32 and the rotating shaft of the second fan 34 are collectively referred to as an upper rotating shaft 36 (see FIG. 11). In addition, the upper air blowing section 30 may have three or more sirocco fans arranged vertically.

The upper air blower 30 also has an upper fan motor 35 that operates the first fan 32 and the second fan 34 . The upper fan motor 35 is arranged between the first fan 32 and the second fan 34 . The upper fan motor 35 rotates the first fan 32 and the second fan 34 counterclockwise around the upper rotating shaft 36 .

The first fan 32 is housed inside the first fan housing 31 . An upper take-in portion 31 a is opened on the upper side of the first fan housing 31 . A lower take-in portion 31 b is opened on the lower side of the first fan housing 31 . A delivery portion (not shown) is open on the right peripheral surface of the first fan housing 31 . The delivery portion (not shown) of the first fan housing 31 faces in the same direction as the delivery portion 33c of the second fan housing 33 shown in FIG.

The first fan 32 sucks external air from the suction portion 13 through the rear panel 14, passes through the upper filter 21 and the grid-like front holding portion 15i, takes in the air from the upper intake portion 31a and the lower intake portion 31b of the first fan housing 31, and sends it out from the sending portion (not shown) in the circumferential direction. A delivery portion (not shown) of the first fan housing 31 is connected to one end side of the right air passage 50 .

The second fan 34 is housed inside the second fan housing 33 . An upper take-in portion 33 a is opened on the upper side of the second fan housing 33 . A lower take-in portion 33b is opened on the lower side of the second fan housing 33 . In addition, a delivery portion 33c is opened on the right peripheral surface of the second fan housing 33. As shown in FIG.

The second fan 34 sucks external air from the suction portion 13 through the rear panel 14, passes through the upper filter 21 and the grid-like front holding portion 15i, takes in the air from the upper intake portion 33a and the lower intake portion 33b of the second fan housing 33, and sends the air from the sending portion 33c in the circumferential direction. The delivery portion 33 c of the second fan housing 33 is connected to one end side of the right air passage 50 .

The lower air blower 40 has two sirocco fans (a third fan 42 and a fourth fan 44) arranged vertically. The rotating shaft of the third fan 42 and the rotating shaft of the fourth fan 44 are arranged coaxially. Here, the rotating shaft of the third fan 42 and the rotating shaft of the fourth fan 44 are collectively referred to as the lower rotating shaft 46 . Note that the lower air blower 40 may have three or more sirocco fans arranged vertically.

Also, the lower air blower 40 has a lower fan motor 45 that operates the third fan 42 and the fourth fan 44 . The lower fan motor 45 is arranged between the third fan 42 and the fourth fan 44 . The lower fan motor 45 rotates the third fan 42 and the fourth fan 44 clockwise around the lower rotating shaft 46 .

The third fan 42 is housed inside the third fan housing 41 . An upper take-in portion 41 a is opened on the upper side of the third fan housing 41 . A lower take-in portion 41 b is opened on the lower side of the third fan housing 41 . In addition, a delivery portion 41c is opened on the left peripheral surface of the third fan housing 41. As shown in FIG.

The third fan 42 sucks external air from the suction portion 13 through the rear panel 14, passes through the lower filter 22 and the grid-shaped front holding portion 15d, takes in the air from the upper intake portion 41a and the lower intake portion 41b of the third fan housing 41, and sends it out from the sending portion 41c in the circumferential direction. The delivery portion 41 c of the third fan housing 41 is connected to one end side of the left air passage 60 .

The fourth fan 44 is housed inside the fourth fan housing 43 . An upper intake portion 43 a is opened on the upper side of the fourth fan housing 43 . A lower take-in portion 43b is opened on the lower side of the fourth fan housing 43. As shown in FIG. A delivery portion (not shown) is open on the left peripheral surface of the fourth fan housing 43 . A delivery portion (not shown) of the fourth fan housing 43 faces in the same direction as the delivery portion 41c of the third fan housing 41 shown in FIG.

The fourth fan 44 draws in external air from the suction portion 13 through the rear panel 14, passes through the lower filter 22 and the grid-like front holding portion 15d, takes in the air from the upper intake portion 43a and the lower intake portion 43b of the fourth fan housing 43, and sends the air from the sending portion (not shown) in the circumferential direction. A delivery portion (not shown) of the fourth fan housing 43 is connected to one end of the left air passage 60 .

The right air duct 50 extends from the right side and upper side of the air cleaner 1 toward the front side and the center. The right air duct 50 curves along the substantially cylindrical housing 10 . One end side of the right air duct 50 is connected to the delivery portion (not shown) of the first fan housing 31 and the delivery portion 33 c of the second fan housing 33 . The other end side of the right air duct 50 is connected to the right blowout section 16 .

The right air duct 50 has branch air ducts 50a and 50b from which a part of the air duct branches. In the first embodiment, branched air passages 50 a and 50 b are provided on one end side of the right air passage 50 . The branched air passages 50 a and 50 b join before the right blowing section 16 . A right air direction changing portion 16a is provided on the other end side of the right air duct 50, that is, on the right blowing portion 16 side. The right wind direction changing portion 16a is a surface parallel to the front-rear direction. The air flowing along the curved right air passage 50 collides with the right air direction changing portion 16 a to change its direction and is blown out from the right blowing portion 16 toward the front of the housing 10 . Therefore, the right airflow direction changing unit 16a can change the direction in which the air flowing along the right airflow path 50 is blown from the right blowing unit 16 to the front of the housing 10 . Further, since the right airflow direction changing portion 16a is configured by a part of the housing 10, the number of parts does not increase.

The right air passage 50 is provided with an imparting portion that imparts air characteristics to the air blown from the upper air blowing portion 30 . The application unit includes an ion generator 51, a heater 52, a humidifier (not shown), and the like. In Embodiment 1, the imparting unit is arranged in each of the branch air passages 50a and 50b to impart air characteristics different from each other.

The ion generator 51 is arranged, for example, in the branch air passage 50a. A discharge electrode portion 51a of the ion generator 51 faces the branch air passage 50a. When the voltage applied to the discharge electrode portion 51a is a positive voltage, the discharge electrode portion 51a generates positive ions, and when the voltage is negative, it generates negative ions. These ions destroy airborne bacteria, odorous components, and the like, so that the air purifier 1 can disinfect and remove odors in the room. Note that the ion generator 51 may be a discharge device that generates not only ions but also electrons, ozone, radicals, active species, and the like.

The heater 52 is arranged, for example, in the branch air passage 50b. By heating the air with the heater 52, the air purifier 1 can raise the indoor temperature. In addition, since the ion generator 51 and the heater 52 are arranged in different air paths, it is possible to prevent the ions generated by the ion generator 51 from being adsorbed to the metal parts of the heater 52, so it is possible to effectively remove bacteria and odors.

The left air duct 60 extends from the left side and bottom side of the air cleaner 1 toward the front side and the center. The left air passage 60 curves along the substantially cylindrical housing 10 . One end side of the left air passage 60 is connected to the delivery portion 41 c of the third fan housing 41 and the delivery portion (not shown) of the fourth fan housing 43 . The other end side of the left air passage 60 is connected to the left blowout portion 17 .

The left air duct 60 has branch air ducts 60a and 60b from which a part of the air duct branches. In the first embodiment, branch air passages 60 a and 60 b are provided at one end of the left air passage 60 . The branched air passages 60 a and 60 b join before the left blowing section 17 . A left air direction changing portion 17 a is provided on the other end side of the left air duct 60 , that is, on the left blowing portion 17 side. The left airflow direction changing portion 17a is a surface parallel to the front-rear direction. The air flowing along the curved left air passage 60 collides with the left air direction changing portion 17 a to change direction and is blown out from the left blowing portion 17 toward the front of the housing 10 . Therefore, the left airflow direction changing portion 17a can change the direction in which the air flowing along the left airflow path 60 is blown out from the left blowout portion 17 to the front of the housing 10 . Further, since the left airflow direction changing part 17a is configured by a part of the housing 10, the number of parts does not increase.

The left air passage 60 is provided with an imparting portion that imparts air characteristics to the air blown from the lower air blowing portion 40 . The application unit includes an ion generator 61, a heater 62, a humidifier (not shown), and the like. In Embodiment 1, the imparting unit is arranged in each of the branch air passages 60a and 60b to impart air characteristics different from each other.

The ion generator 61 is arranged, for example, in the branch air passage 60a. A discharge electrode portion 61a of the ion generator 61 faces the branch air passage 60a. The ion generator 61 applies positive ions or negative ions to the air, similar to the ion generator 51 . Note that the ion generator 61 may be a discharge device that generates not only ions but also electrons, ozone, radicals, active species, and the like.

The heater 62 is arranged, for example, in the branch air passage 60b. Heater 62, like heater 52, imparts heat to the air.

Note that the heater 52 may be arranged on the upper air blowing section 30 side, which is upstream of the right air passage 50, and the ion generator 51 may be arranged on the right blowing section 16 side, which is downstream. Similarly, the heater 62 may be arranged on the lower blowing section 40 side, which is upstream of the left air passage 60, and the ion generator 61 may be arranged on the left blowing section 17 side, which is downstream. In the case of this arrangement, ions generated by the ion generators 51 and 61 can be prevented from being adsorbed to the metal parts of the heaters 52 and 62, so sterilization and odor removal can be effectively performed. Moreover, branch air paths can be made unnecessary.

In the first embodiment, both the right air duct 50 and the left air duct 60 are provided with the applying section, but at least one of the right air duct 50 and the left air duct 60 may be provided with the applying section. Alternatively, the imparting portion provided in the right air duct 50 and the imparting portion provided in the left air duct 60 may impart air characteristics different from each other.

Since the discharge electrode portions 51a and 61a are consumed, the ion generators 51 and 61 need to be replaced by the user. That is, the ion generators 51 and 61 are replacement parts. Therefore, it is preferable that the air cleaner 1 has a structure in which the ion generators 51 and 61 can be easily replaced.

Here, the suction part 13 provided on the rear surface of the housing 10 has an opening larger than the upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22, and the upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22 are arranged in the opening. Ion generators 51 and 61, which are replacement parts, are arranged in gaps of the suction unit 13 that are not blocked by the upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22 . More specifically, as shown in FIG. 11 and the like, there is a gap between the edge of the suction portion 13 and the side holding portion 15f that holds the upper filter 21 . An ion generator 51 is arranged in this gap. Also, this gap faces the right air passage 50 . Furthermore, a portion of the right air duct 50 facing this gap is open, and an ion generator 51 is arranged so as to block the opening. A discharge electrode portion 51 a of the ion generator 51 protrudes into the branch air passage 50 a through the opening of the right air passage 50 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 12 and the like, there is a gap between the side holding portion 15c holding the lower filter 22 and the edge of the suction portion 13. As shown in FIG. An ion generator 61 is arranged in this gap. Also, this gap faces the left air passage 60 . Furthermore, a portion of the left air passage 60 facing this gap is open, and an ion generator 61 is arranged so as to block the opening. A discharge electrode portion 61 a of the ion generator 61 protrudes into the branch air passage 60 a through the opening of the left air passage 60 .

As shown in FIG. 4, when the rear panel 14 is removed from the suction unit 13, the ion generators 51 and 61 are exposed, so that the ion generators 51 and 61 can be easily replaced. In addition, since the openings are provided on the outer surfaces of the right air duct 50 and the left air duct 60, the discharge electrode portions 51a and 61a can be arranged in the right air duct 50 and the left air duct 60 without any special work by the user.

The rotation shafts of the fans of the vertically adjacent air blowing units 30 and 40 of the at least two air blowing units are arranged at positions shifted from each other in a plan view. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11 , the upper rotating shaft 36 of the upper blowing unit 30 and the lower rotating shaft 46 of the lower blowing unit 40 of the upper blowing unit 30 and the lower blowing unit 40 that are adjacent to each other are arranged at positions shifted in the horizontal direction in plan view. That is, the upper air blowing section 30 is arranged on the right side, and the lower air blowing section 40 is arranged on the left side. The reason why the upper air blowing section 30 is arranged on the right side is to avoid interference with the left air passage 60 arranged on the left side and to increase the air blowing volume. On the other hand, the reason why the lower air blowing section 40 is arranged on the left side is to avoid interference with the right air passage 50 arranged on the right side and to increase the amount of air blown.

When the upper rotating shaft 36 of the upper blowing part 30 and the lower rotating shaft 46 of the lower blowing part 40 are arranged coaxially, it is necessary to reduce the diameter of the upper blowing part 30 so that the upper blowing part 30 does not interfere with the left air passage 60. - 特許庁Similarly, it is necessary to reduce the diameter of the lower air blower 40 so that the lower air blower 40 does not interfere with the right air passage 50 . If the diameter of the upper air blower 30 is reduced, that is, if the first fan 32 and the second fan 34 are made smaller, the amount of air blown is reduced. Similarly, if the diameter of the lower air blower 40 is reduced, that is, if the third fan 42 and the fourth fan 44 are made smaller, the amount of air blown is reduced. In addition, the upper rotating shaft 36 of the upper air blowing section 30 and the lower rotating shaft 46 of the lower air blowing section 40 may be arranged at positions that overlap each other in plan view.

The fans of the vertically adjacent air blowing units 30 and 40 of the at least two air blowing units rotate in directions opposite to each other. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the rotation directions of the first fan 32 and the second fan 34 of the upper air blowing section 30 are counterclockwise. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12, the rotation directions of the third fan 42 and the fourth fan 44 of the lower blowing section 40 are clockwise. By reversing the rotation directions of the upper blowing part 30 and the lower blowing part 40, the distance of the right air duct 50 connecting the upper blowing part 30 to the right blowing part 16 and the distance of the left air duct 60 connecting the lower blowing part 40 to the left blowing part 17 can be shortened.

Next, the arrangement of the filter section 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. FIG. 13 is a plan view for explaining the intersection position 23 of the filter section 20 in the air cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 14 is a reference example for helping understanding of the intersection position 23 of the filter unit 20 in the air cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment.

The plan view of FIG. 13 schematically shows the housing 10 including the rear panel 14 and the filter section 20 including the upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22 . The upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22 are arranged at an angle in plan view, and intersect at an intersecting position 23 . By crossing the upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22, the distance D1 between the rear panel 14 and the upper filter 21 and the distance D1 between the rear panel 14 and the lower filter 22 can be secured. By securing the distance D1, the pressure loss around the suction portion 13 can be reduced.

In the reference example of FIG. 14, a housing 10A including a rear panel 14A and a filter section 20A including an upper filter 21A and a lower filter 22A are schematically shown. The upper filter 21A and the lower filter 22A of the reference example are arranged at the same angle in plan view. In order to secure the distance D1 between the rear panel 14A and the upper filter 21A and the distance D1 between the rear panel 14A and the lower filter 22A, the rear panel 14A needs to protrude outward from the housing 10A. That is, in order to secure the distance D1, it is necessary to increase the installation area of the housing 10A. On the other hand, when the upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22 are crossed, it is not necessary to increase the installation area of the housing 10 in order to secure the distance D1.

An intersection position 23 between the vertically adjacent upper filter 21 and lower filter 22 is positioned closer to the rear panel 14 than the central portions 24 and 25 of the filters in plan view, for example. The center of the upper surface (or lower surface) of the upper filter 21 is defined as a filter central portion 24 . The center of the upper surface (or lower surface) of the lower filter 22 is defined as a filter central portion 25 . By positioning the intersecting position 23 closer to the rear panel 14 than the central portions 24 and 25 of the filters, it is possible to provide a gap for arranging the ion generators 51 and 61 on the left and right sides of the filter portion 20 without increasing the installation area of the air cleaner 1.

Next, detailed configurations of the upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22 will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. FIG. 15 is a front view showing the configuration of the upper filter 21 in the air cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the upper filter 21 in the air cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

Since the upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22 have the same shape, the upper filter 21 will be described here as a representative.

The upper filter 21 includes a filter body 21a and an outer frame 21c. Further, the upper filter 21 may include a handle 21e in addition to the filter main body 21a and the outer frame 21c.

The filter body 21a has a pleated structure having a plurality of folds 21b formed along the longitudinal direction, that is, the vertical direction. As described above, the filter main body 21a is configured by a HEPA filter or the like. Since a plurality of folds 21b extending in the vertical direction are arranged in the horizontal direction, the filter body 21a has high strength in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the upper filter 21 and the lower filter 22 are arranged vertically, even if the load of the upper filter 21 is applied to the lower filter 22, it is difficult to deform.

Adjacent creases 21b among the plurality of creases 21b are adhered with an adhesive 21d. 21 d of adhesives are arrange|positioned in the direction orthogonal to the fold|fold 21b, ie, the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 16, the adjacent creases 21b are adhered with an adhesive 21d from both the front side and the back side of the filter body 21a. Adhesive 21d maintains the distance between adjacent folds 21b. By arranging the plurality of adhesives 21d in the horizontal direction, the shape of the filter body 21a in the horizontal direction is maintained. In order to maintain the shape of the entire filter body 21a, it is preferable that a plurality of rows of the adhesive 21d extending in the horizontal direction are provided in the vertical direction. In Embodiment 1, six rows of the adhesive 21d are provided.

The outer frame 21c covers the outer peripheral surface of the filter main body 21a. The outer frame 21c is made of nonwoven fabric, resin, or the like. Since the strength of the filter body 21a itself is high, the outer frame 21c does not necessarily require high strength.

One end of the handle 21e is fixed between the filter main body 21a and the outer frame 21c, and the other end protrudes from the outer frame 21c. For example, the handle 21e is adhered with an adhesive (not shown) between the filter main body 21a and the outer frame 21c. Since the lengthwise direction of the filter body 21a has a larger area to be adhered than the widthwise direction, the handle 21e is preferably arranged in the longitudinal direction of the filter body 21a in order to ensure the adhesive force. In addition, since a larger load is applied in the longitudinal direction than in the lateral direction of the filter body 21a, the handle 21e is preferably arranged in the longitudinal direction of the filter body 21a in order to ensure that the upper filter 21 can be easily removed.

The number and position of the handles 21e may be arbitrary. For example, the handles 21 e may be provided at the center of the right side and the center of the left side of the upper filter 21 . Further, for example, the handles 21 e may be provided on the lower right side and the upper left side of the upper filter 21 . Also, for example, the handles 21e may be provided on the upper right side and the upper left side. Also, for example, the handle 21e may be provided at the center of the upper side. An example of specifications of the upper filter 21 is shown here. The size of the upper filter 21 is about 310 mm in the vertical direction, about 150 mm in the horizontal direction, and about 35 mm in the front-rear direction. The size of the handle 21e is about 37 mm in length from the side of the filter main body 21a to the protruding tip side, and about 15 mm in width. The filter main body 21a may contain activated carbon to impart a deodorizing effect. Further, at least one surface of the outer peripheral surface of the outer frame 21c may have a display indicating the insertion direction when installing the filter. The display indicating the insertion direction is, for example, characters such as "rear" and "front" indicating the orientation when the upper filter 21 is installed in the filter holding portion 15, or an arrow indicating the orientation. In addition, since the display indicating the insertion direction is arranged on the surface of the outer peripheral surface of the outer frame 21c on which the handle 21e is provided, the user can easily notice the display indicating the insertion direction.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings (FIGS. 1 to 16). However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various aspects without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, two pairs of blower units and filters are arranged vertically, but three or more pairs may be arranged vertically. Also, although two fans are arranged vertically in one air blowing unit, three or more fans may be arranged vertically. Even with such an arrangement, the air cleaner 1 can clean the air in a wide space without increasing the installation area.

In addition, the drawings schematically show each constituent element as a subject for easy understanding. Therefore, the thickness, length, shape, number, spacing, material, etc. of each illustrated component are not particularly limited, and various changes are possible within the scope of the configuration of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is particularly suitable for use in an air purifier that cleans the air in a wide space.

1 air purifier 10 housing 10a, 10b side panel 11 operation unit 12 display unit 13 suction unit 14 rear panel 15 filter holding unit 15a lower surface holding units 15b, 15c, 15f, 15g side holding units 15d, 15i front holding unit 15h upper surface holding unit 16 right blowing unit 16a right air direction changing unit 17 left blowing unit 17a left air direction changing Unit 18 Filter detection unit 20 Filter unit 21 Upper filter (filter)
21a, 22a Filter body 21b Folds 21c, 22c Outer frame 21d Adhesives 21e, 22e Handles 21f, 22f Reinforcing member 22 Lower filter (filter)
23 Intersection positions 24, 25 Filter central portion 30 Upper air blower (air blower)
31 First fan housings 31a, 33a, 41a, 43a Upper intake parts 31b, 33b, 41b, 43b Lower intake parts 33c, 41c Sending part 32 First fan 33 Second fan housing 34 Second fan 35 Upper fan motor 36 Upper rotating shaft 40 Lower air blowing part (air blowing part)
41 Third fan housing 42 Third fan 43 Fourth fan housing 44 Fourth fan 45 Lower fan motor 46 Lower rotating shaft 50 Right air passage (air passage)
50a, 50b, 60a, 60b branch air passages 51, 61 ion generator (applying part, replacement part)
51a, 61a discharge electrode portions 52, 62 heater (applying portion)
62 heater (applying unit)
60 left air passage (air passage)
D1 distance

Claims (11)

a housing;
An air purifier comprising at least two vertically elongated rectangular parallelepiped filters arranged vertically inside the housing and intersecting each other in a plan view. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein vertically adjacent filters of said at least two filters are in direct contact with each other at a crossing position. A curved rear panel facing the at least two filters provided on the rear surface of the housing,
3. The air purifier according to claim 2, wherein the intersection position between the adjacent filters is closer to the rear panel side than the central portion of the filters in plan view. 4. The air purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising at least two air blowers arranged at positions respectively corresponding to the at least two filters. a suction part provided on the rear surface of the housing, which has an opening larger than the at least two filters and in which the at least two filters are arranged;
5. The air purifier of any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: a replacement part located in a gap of the suction section not blocked by the at least two filters. The air purifier according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a filter detection unit arranged so as to be able to contact an upper surface of the uppermost filter of the at least two filters. A filter used in the air cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
a filter body having a plurality of folds formed along the longitudinal direction;
A filter comprising: an outer frame that covers the outer peripheral surface of the filter body. 8. The filter according to claim 7, wherein an adhesive for adhering adjacent creases of said plurality of creases is arranged in a direction orthogonal to said creases. 9. The filter according to claim 7, wherein one end side is fixed in a state sandwiched between the filter body and the outer frame, and the other end side has a handle protruding from the outer frame. 10. The filter of Claim 9, wherein the handle is longitudinally disposed on the filter body. 11. The filter according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein a reinforcing member is provided on at least one of the outer peripheral surfaces of said outer frame perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

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